Drying rack



Junezg 192e. 1,590,698

F. S. RAY

DRYING RACK Filed Jan. v6,1925 s sheets-sheet 1 F. S. RAY

DRYING RACK June 29 1926.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 6, 1925 Patented June 2,9, 1926. il.

UNITED STATES PATENT oF-Fics.

FREDERICK S. RAY, OF PEMBROKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

DRYTNG RACK.

Application led January 6, 1925.

The invention relates to an improvement in drying racks and essentially to racks of a portable character useful in the drying of skins arranged upon frames.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a generally improved means for holding separate from one another the frames upon which the skins are arranged.

The invention can best be seenand understood by reference to the drawings, in which- Figure lisa side elevation of a drying rack embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a plan showing the arrangement of the ngers and mounting therefor, which .fingers operate as the immediate means for holding separate the frames upon which the slrins are arranged. This plan is from one side of the rack only, the other side being identical in character. 'n

Fig. 4 is asection on the line 1-4: of Fig. 3, the finger there shown being in an operative position, and y Fig. 5 is the same as Fig. i excepting that the finger there shown is occupying an inoperative out-of-the-way position.

Referring to the drawings 1 represents the body or base of the rack preferably consisting of a low flat-topped truck provided with wheels 2 by which it may be moved about. The truck forms the chief support for the skins 3 each of which is tacked to a frame 4; preferablyrectangular in form. These frames with attached skins will hereinafter be referred to as drying units.

The truck is adapted to carry a considerable number of the drying units which are arranged on end in an upright position in line with one another. The units are spaced from one another in order that air may freely circulate between them. The units are also preferably arranged in sets on opposite sides of an interposed frame structure or xture 5 secured to the truck. The units are also arranged to lie between side rails 6 extending parallel with the truck and lying some distance above it. These side rails are secured to the Opposite sides of the fixture 5 and provide not only a lateral support for the units, but carry also fingers against which the inclined units vrest and which fingers operate to hold the units in place properly spaced from one another. When in place resting on the truck the bot- Seral No. '905.

tom ends of the respective units are placed in contact with one another and the spacing and retention of the units by the fingers 7 are such that each set'of units will present a substantially' fan-shaped appearance.

Each of the side rails 6 has the form of a channel bar with inner and outer sides 8 and 9, respectively, and bottom 10. rlhe -`rails are each preferably made in two sections fastened together by rivets 11.

Formed in the bottom`10 of each ofthe rails are a series of openings 12 which correspond in number with the number of the respective fingers 7 with which the rail is provided. The openings 12 are located just forward of the outer side 9 of the rail.

Adjacent the openings 12 and lyingjust above them the rails are provided with mountingsl which form supports for the respective fingers. These mountings consist preferably of rods extended over the respective openings in the bottoms of the rails from which the mountings are spaced and the rods are secured to the bottoms of the rails by providing the rods with turned threaded ends 141 passed through the bottom of the rail to which the mounting is adjacent and secured to it by clamping nuts 15.

The fingers 7 are each preferably reinforced along the back byan edge or fiangeforming portion 16 for strengthening the fingen-turned preferably as shown. of the fingers is provided with a turned outer end 17 much in the manner of a hook with a vsquared heel portion 17. The end 17 is' adapted to pass around one of the mountings 13 to which the finger is adjacent whereby the finger may turn pivotally on such mounting. Forward of the end 17 the finger is provided with adrawing edge portion 18, by which it may draw over the Each mounting as will later be explained, and be'- yond the edge 18 with a shoulder 19. The relative size and arrangement of the fingers is such that when the fingers are in their downturned operative position, as shown in Fig. 4, with the 'outer curved end of the fingers embracing their mountings, the fingers will then extend from their mountings in substantially horizontal direction over theinner side 8 of the rail and thence beyond the inner face of the rail in sufiicient amount to enter the line of drying units and operate as space and retaining members for the respective units. YVhen thus disposed the'body of each finger will lie in a slot 2O cut in the innerside .8 `of'ithe rail Withthefedge 18 of the finger resting on the side of the rail at the bottom 21 of the slot. The shoulder 19 of the finger Will then liefjust-iforvvard of the side ofthe rail on Whichlthe finger is resting. The end 17 of the finger Will Yentend downward into the ,slot12 .in the-.bot-v tom of the rail WithV the heel portion 17 of the iingeribearing .against the edge .12

on :its gpivotal mounting 13,l ,to -a substantially vertical position when the finger Will drop .bygravity through-fthe vopening '1.2 .in the bottom of the :rail :to which .the finger is adjaeent'until the edge-19 -of the-,finger engagesl the imounting .13, thevfiinger Athen .rest- :ing on ithe mounting. substantially as lfshowvn in Fig. V5, Whichis lthe ,inoperative or lout- -offthe-wvay position of the nger.

'il-Vhen thus disposed .fin its inoperative position fthe entire -Lfinger will --occupy a posit-ion inside the outerf-facej-of the rail Whiohfvvill then function as a vguard for all the fingers preventing Vtheir being broken las 'thefrack is movedviabont.

'The fingers .are .maintained Iin ,proper operative connection `With their respective :mountings at. ,all .times in any suitable .man ner :but preferably as shovvn` by ak .flange 22 `inturned from `the ,top of @the outer side 9 of :the rail vThis flange :has aslot .23 cntv in .it Within which :the outer iturned end lof-.the Vfinger is lcon-tained. As thefinger is turned fand moved in relation xto its Imounting it will :renderer passythrougfhthis aslot, the 'ila-nge then functioning to hold the linger 'in proper operative engagement with its mounting. l'V-hen ,the linger has been moved -downwardlythrough the vvslot `12 Eto its vful-l inoperative position `with -.tlie...shoulder 1,9 resting upon ithe mounting, the back `of the finger will then engaige ,the edge 12' yat the end of the-slot which .thus assists in the retention .o-f thefingen From their inoperative or out-of-the-Way positions, asV show-n in Fig. 5., the fingers may be returned to their-operativepositionsas shown in Fig. el, by drawing .up ,the nii-gers 'through the bottoms yof the railsvnntil ltheir turned ends .engage the :mounting-s when '-theffingers-may be turned dow-n into place.

lnflthe .assembling V'of the parts the fingers :are :applied to `their .respective monntings 13.10111 the rai-l by an application-of the iin- 1Vgers .from the nnder side ofthe rail, each .finger being pnshed upwardlytlnough one of the .openings 12. To perm-it of the vflanged portion 16 l.of the finger being thus inserted, the mounting 13 is moved in- Wardly, fthe openings :the rail through which the ends of the mounting extend being sufficiently large to permit of such movement onY lloosening the Ynuts 15. After the fingers are inserted the mounting is moved back 'into place and the nuts tightened..

Having thus fully described my invention, I cla-im and desire to secure by Letters `Patent of the United States 1. .In .a drying rack, the combinationof a bas'einember adapted to supporta num-A ber kof Idrying units arrangedy onend, side rails ,arranged yalongside the units, `means K for supporting the side rails yfrom thebase member, iingerscarried by the side 'rails ,"and means for .supporting the fingers 'whereby each .may be movedto 'have and maintain 'a down-turned operative position Withl extension V'beyond the'inner faceo'f the rail carrying .the iinger or an up-turned inoperative position with yextension inside the outer Y operative position' with extension beyond' the inner vface of the rail carrying the finger or an up-turned 'inoperative position resting .upon its mounting with extension `in p'art through a slot in the rail.

3. in a drying rack, the Vcombination o'f a base member adapted to support a number of unitsarranged-on end, slotted slide rails :arranged alongside the units, ,means Yfor supporting the side rails from .the'base member,A mountings arranged on 'the side rails above the slots in them, 'fingerscarried by the side rails andhaving both av-piv- .otal .and sliding connection with the mounting's whereby each tfinger may be turned to haveand maintaina down-turned operative -position with', extension beyond the inner face of .the trail carrying the finger or an upturned inoperative lposition Vresting upon its `mountingwithextensioninpart through a i slot inthe rail, .and means for retaining each turned end by which it may turn pivotally on its mounting, an edge by which the 1inger may slide along its mounting, a shoulder by which the nger may engage and 5 rest upon its mounting, and means for retaining each of the fingers whereby it may be turned to have and maintain a downturned operative position with extension beyond the inner face of the rail carrying the finger resting in. part on said rail or an upturned inoperative position resting by its shoulder on Said mounting with extension in part through a slot in the rail.

FREDERICK S. RAY. 

